Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 59-14vs Miami (OH) | 5 | 114 | 22.8 | 1 | 53 | Season-high 114 yds |
| Wk 2 | W 12-7vs UCF | 3 | 64 | 21.3 | 0 | 41 | |
| Total | 8 | 178 | 22.1 | 1 | 53 |
#3
Cataurus Hicks
Senior wide receiver for Pittsburgh. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
5′10″ · 185 lb · Miami, FL · Miami Central
CFB Index 42 · #289 of 485 WRsHigh confidenceReturning to Pittsburgh for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
178
receiving yards · 2026
8 catches · 1 TD · 22.3 per catch
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 5 rec, 114 yds, 1 TD, vs Miami (OH)
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 wide receiver for Pittsburgh. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Louisville in 2023.
- Transferred from Louisville to Pittsburgh in 2025.
Cataurus Hicks
Beats you over the top. Across four seasons and two programs, two head coaches: Jeff Brohm and Pat Narduzzi. The receipt: 114 rec yds, 5 receptions against Miami (OH) — Week 1, 2026.
178 REC YDS · 8 REC · 1 REC TD
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
The week the volume broke through — put up 120 yds vs NC State.NC State · W 53-342025
2023
- Signed with Louisville3-star out of Miami Central
202511 games
The role got bigger.
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Pittsburgh
Played his entire career under Pat Narduzzi.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Louisville10-4HC: Jeff Brohm · Run-leaning
2024Louisville9-4HC: Jeff Brohm · Balanced
2025Pittsburgh8-5HC: Pat Narduzzi · Balanced
2026Pittsburgh2-0HC: Pat Narduzzi · Balanced
Where this profile ranks vs the WR cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidenceAscending
Elite: yards / catch (98th percentile). Concern: receptions (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (5)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 4.0 REC/g, 89.0 YDS/g, 22.1 YPR, 0.5 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Pat Narduzzi
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-ACC
Based on 2025: #43 of 64 ACC WRs
How the All-ACC estimate is computed
15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Pittsburgh | 8 | 178 | 22.2 | 1 | -- |
| 2025 | Pittsburgh | 24 | 422 | 17.6 | 4 | -- |
| 2024 | Louisville | 12 | 149 | 12.4 | 0 | -- |
| 2023 | Louisville | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 45 | 760 | 16.9 | 5 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Pittsburgh | -- | -- | -- | 32 | -- |
| 2025 | Pittsburgh | 3 | -5 | 69 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Louisville | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Louisville | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 3 | -5 | 69 | 32 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 12–7
vs UCF
3 rec · 64 yds
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 5 at home.
With G. Russo — 40 AVG · 3 IN 20 · 51 LONG · M. Heintschel — 212 yds · 0 TD · 0 INT · QBR 44.1 · 13 rush yds (7 car)
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 1 · Miami (OH) · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +4.10(13:33) No Huddle-Shotgun #6 M.Heintschel pass complete deep right to #3 C.Hicks caught at Miami25, for 53 yards to the Miami00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 13:26, 1ST DOWN #48 A.Chadha kick attempt good (H: #92 K.Tijerina, LS: #59 J.Schmidt)
- Week 2 · UCF · 2&11 · Q1 · EPA +3.20(14:27) Shotgun #6 M.Heintschel pass complete deep right to #3 C.Hicks caught at Pitt30, for 41 yards to the Pitt48 (#4 B.Marshall), 1ST DOWN, PENALTY UCF Offside declined
- Week 2 · UCF · 3&6 · Q2 · EPA +1.98(11:29) Shotgun #6 M.Heintschel pass complete short middle to #3 C.Hicks caught at Pitt31, for 19 yards to the Pitt36 QB hurried by #34 J.Culbreath (#11 K.Talley), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Miami (OH) · 2&13 · Q3 · EPA +1.09(00:41) Shotgun #6 M.Heintschel pass complete short middle to #3 C.Hicks caught at Pitt23, for 14 yards to the Pitt24 (#8 C.Young; #3 M.McCain), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Miami (OH) · 2&5 · Q1 · EPA +0.84(07:53) Shotgun #6 M.Heintschel pass complete short left to #3 C.Hicks caught at Pitt27, for 12 yards to the Pitt28 (#1 D.Tatum), out of bounds, 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Miami (OH) · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA +0.49(10:30) Shotgun #6 M.Heintschel pass complete deep middle to #3 C.Hicks caught at Miami16, for 22 yards to the Miami15 (#2 J.Pons; #21 T.Coleman Jr.), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Miami (OH) · 3&17 · Q2 · EPA +0.17(03:40) Shotgun #6 M.Heintschel pass complete short middle to #3 C.Hicks caught at Pitt20, for 13 yards to the Pitt22 (#8 C.Young)
- Week 2 · UCF · 3&10 · Q1 · EPA -0.06(00:48) No Huddle-Shotgun #6 M.Heintschel pass complete short middle to #3 C.Hicks caught at UCF10, for 4 yards to the UCF10 (#20 L.Carter)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Stretches the field vertically. Every snap is a potential big play.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Pittsburgh
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Wide receiver · Pittsburgh
Returning around him
- 40% of 2024 offensive production back (Moderate turnover)
- 1 Pittsburgh player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -5 net (16 in / 21 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Pittsburgh · Last season: 8-5 (AP #24) · Talent rank #64 · 2026 recruiting class #44
DNA match
Player DNA
Deep Threat
Stretches the field vertically. Every snap is a potential big play.
WR
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Jsi Hatfield’s 2021 season.
75%match
Matches Jsi on
Height
Yards / reception
TD rate
Differs from Jsi on
Class year (lower)
EPA / play (adj) (lower)
Through 3 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Trevor Wilson’s path through Kansas.
84%match
Matches Trevor on
Yards per reception
Recruiting rating
Height
Differs from Trevor on
Weight (lower)
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Tychaun Chapman's junior season at Southern Miss (2025).
62%match
Matches Tychaun on
Yards / reception
Differs from Tychaun on
Class year (lower)
Recruiting rating (lower)
Height (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like Cataurus Hicks
Heisman trajectory
Heisman Trajectory · 2026
Peak #167
Peaked at #167 this season.
Background
2025: Enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh in January 2025 following his transfer from Louisville...had a career year for the Panthers, catching 24 passes for 422 yards and four touchdowns…in his Pitt debut, caught four passes for 55 yards and two touchdowns, including a one-handed score that...
The receiver room · Pittsburgh
- #3Cataurus Hicks422 receiving yards · 2025
- #4Bryce Yates202 receiving yards · 2025
- #10Censere Lee86 receiving yards · 2025
- #84Cam Sapp7 receiving yards · 2025
- #2Tony Kinsler4 receiving yards · 2025
10 more on the roster · Pittsburgh team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology